Creepy Skull Hourglass 'Kills Time' and Looks Like Dark Magic

As you're probably well aware, ferrofluid is awesome. What looks like run-of-the-mill ink comes alive and dances when introduced to a strong magnet. The spiky, transformable liquid looks a lot like dark magic, so it's the perfect addition to any spooky project. Case in point: Eric Mesplé's sculpture, Killing Time. The artist created a massive hourglass that stands 78 inches tall, made with bronze, aluminum, steel, glass, electromagnets, ferrofluid, microcontrollers, and sensors.

"Time is something that is very hard to put into perspective and an hourglass—in a weird way—shows time in terms that can be measured," Mesplé told Inked. "It can either suck you into watching time totally evaporate or create anticipation about it ending so quickly."

Watching the sculpture move, it's hard not to feel a little unsettled. The ferrofluid rises up from the hourglass and into the skull's gaping mouth, where it forms a spiky, pulsing ball. Creepier still, the skull pulls more fluid up as a viewer approaches. Mesplé intended for people to feel like they are taking a risk by getting too close.

"I want the sculpture to make you think about your relationship with time at that moment. A lot of people think of time as the end-all, but I feel like time is a gift I’ve been given that enables me to do the things I need to do," he told Inked.

The whole hourglass took about nine months to create. Mesplé built the magnets and told the magazine that he had some trouble getting the ferrofluid to behave correctly. Also, it's apparently really hard to get the stains out of your clothes.

[h/t Inked]

Primary image courtesy of YouTube. 

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